NEW ZEALAND & THE NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1949, 5 January 1914, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND & THE NAVY.

AN INCIDENT.BY"THE WAY..; In a 'letter to the- Wellington, branch secretary, of the, Navy League, Lieutenant H. T.-C: Knox, of'.the-'Lon-don • headquarters, says ■ that'after;., a' tour through •■Norway and Swednn, hc> visited Scotland. He writes: —"Much progress has recently been made' 'with the ..now dockyard at Eosyth, .which ultimo will be tin, l Portsmouth of the North, with an enormous tidal basin, mid three largo graving docks, each . 8-JG feet lonjri which-ivill.be-rcaSy'for use-in 1010."' :■ '■ ' ' ■' ":'•'■' •>.- "I travelled.south from Edinburgh ,in the-'same compartment with a man and his daughter.- ■'■• We got into conversation as to the weather, etc.', and the stranger informed me thai the rain we had experienced on tho West Coast of Scotland was nothing to the .-.rain inparts of tho country ho came from. I." asked' 'What country'is that? 1 .'New. Zealand,! said he. I said I knew tho country, admired its climate, its scenery, and it 3 people. I added that I thought it was magnificent of New Zealand to present the Dreadnought to tho. Fleet, and .also admired -them'' for so thoroughly. nndergtaHding the naval problem that, having seen .their ship, they sent, her back to the North Scathe ono place,. where slip .was. required. ■Wry modestly he said, : I had' Hie honour of doing that—l was Prims Mini?,tor of New-Zealand nt the'timc.'.. He and I each pulled out our cards."'. Ho was'iiho Hon. 'Plios. Mackenzie, .and'l had never met him before. His daughter told nie hgw sh? and Tier father were'kec-i! Navy Leaguers;,and that her ■brother'had won. tho Navy League prize ■that I offered .when. I' lectured: at,; the ..- WaitakiHigh School! How smallvthe .world is!" '■■«*■■ ' ■ .;:,,?-; :■s■::>?■ >-.